Think global, dig local!

What can local raw materials teach us? How can knowledge regarding a material’s origin help us to be wiser in its use? Does better knowledge of materials lead to better approaches to the environment?

Atelier NL on 'Think Global, Dig Local!'

In their attempts to answer these questions, Nadine Sterk and Lonny van Ryswyk of Atelier NL created a library of hundreds of sand and clay samples. The thorough analysis of these materials at many scales – from the landscape down to the molecular – has informed a unique philosophy. The projects born out of this philosophy put forward an aesthetic that emphasises the connection between raw materials, their origins, and possible new functions.

Through a unique combination of careful exploration, responsible research and analysis, and the creative transformation of material, Atelier NL shows us how to ‘think global, dig local!’